So many of us guys have the dream of becoming a baseball player.
Why, even I had it, trying out on the manicured field of The House
that Ruth Built as an ambidextrous pitcher in the summer of 1960.
He had the same dream, picturing himself as a Major Leaguer one
day. He was a great high school multi-sport athlete, but there was
no doubt that his first love was baseball. He even dropped out of
high school at age 16 to focus on his baseball fantasy — which
he later put on hold while he served his nation in World War II.
He focused on his love for baseball, playing on American Legion and
CYO teams in his native Brockton, Massachusetts. He drew the
attention of Big League scouts. He was eagerly invited to try out as a
catcher / first baseman by the Chicago Cubs, and drove to Fayetteville,
North Carolina to show the scouts his talents. His heart was all in,
but after three weeks, he was forced to wake up from his young man’s
dream. He could hit homers but had a weak throwing arm, they said . . .
the same weak right arm that would later knock out 43 opponents as he
eventually finished his boxing career with 49 victories and no losses, the only
undefeated heavyweight champion boxing has ever had. Still, I
have no doubt that he never quite forgot about his baseball dream just
as I know mine never faded. With so many of us forever boys,
the dream grabs on and never lets go,
even as reality insists on taking hold; the dream remains somewhere
inside us for a lifetime, wrapping itself like a warm blanket around our
souls . . . and that’s just fine. We understand. Rocky Marciano
understood. We all really understand.